APA- Comment or chair at the 2019 Eastern Division meeting.

Dear DAVID, The program committee for the 2019 APA Eastern Division meeting would like to invite volunteers to serve as session chairs or commentators for submitted papers at the upcoming meeting in New York, NY, January 7–10, 2019. Please note that the meeting is now held in January, not in December. You may volunteer by using this online form. Your information will be given to the program committee so that you may be considered as a chair or commentator for a submitted paper. The committee has sent out acceptance notifications for submitted papers; invitations to chairs and commentators are expected to go out this month. Volunteering does not guarantee that you will be asked to comment or chair. The program committee also makes use of other sources for possible commentators and chairs, including the authors of submitted papers that were not accepted. The number of volunteers usually far exceeds the number of positions that need to be filled. The committee does not notify those volunteers who have not been selected. Please note that all program participants, including presenters, chairs, and commentators, must register for the meeting. If you have questions, please contact me. Sincerely, Jeffrey Dunn APA Eastern Division Secretary-Treasurer

THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD. THE WORLD OF CRYPTOZOOLOGY. PT 4. BIGFOOT- SECTION 1.

What awaits us in the Deepest Parts of the Unexplored Forests of the Pacific Northwest?

-  or maybe its the Mountains of Appalachia?

-  Could it be the Remote Back Roads of New England, New Jersey, or New York?

-  What about the Lands around the Great Lakes, and the Upper Mid-West?

Come to think of it, there is one Type of Cryptid that seems to have found a Home in every one of the 50 States in the U.S., and All the Provinces and Territories of Canada.

CRYPTID-  A LEGENDARY OR MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE WHOSE EXISTENCE HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN, OR EVEN REASONABLY POSTULATED BY EVIDENCE AVAILABLE FOR TESTING OR ANALYSIS.

Cryptozoology, is the one area where Evidence does not Have to meet any Kind of Scientific, or Critical Thinking Criteria.  So, that is where we find the continued insistence that such Improbable Creatures actually do exist.

The Number of Cryptids that are Promoted as Real by Cryptozoologists are Numerous, and are said to exist just about everywhere on Earth.  However, to begin with, let's look at the Most Famous Example found on the NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT.  I am Referring to the Backwoods Beast known as BIGFOOT.

When Starting a Discussion about any possible living thing, particularly one that is Unlikely to Exist, the MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS TO ACTUALLY DEFINE WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, AND WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE VALID QUALIFYING EVIDENCE PROVING ITS REALITY.  

That is the First Problem, and it Points out something that will be a Detriment when Talking about any CRYPTID;

THAT WITH ONLY PURELY SUBJECTIVE TESTIMONY OFFERED AS THE "BEST EVIDENCE",  A PROPER DEFINITION IS NOT REASONABLY POSSIBLE.  IT CAN BE CHANGED EASILY, SINCE IT IS NOT BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC THEORY.

That brings us to first IMPORTANT QUESTION-  WHEN SOMEONE WRITES OR TALKS ABOUT BIGFOOT...

... WHAT ARE THEY REFERENCING?

SEE SECTION 2.

ETHICS AND MORALITY. RIGHTS- WHAT THEY ARE, AND WHAT THEY ARE NOT. PT 1.

There is perhaps no more important word, when we discuss such issues as Freedom of Choice,

Protection from Governmental Interference into our lives, and yes, "Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness." Yet, the definition of RIGHTS seems to be something many don't understand. 

Even more alarmingly, there are those who define the term in different ways at different times, depending on the agenda they are supporting in the latest election cycle.

The goal of this article is to define what is meant when the word RIGHTS is used properly, and to shed light on the improper usage of the term.

In general terms, a RIGHT can be referenced and defined in several ways:

-  A Protection against Persecution for certain behaviors, that an individual or group may engage in.

-  The ability to make decisions about ones' own life, free of improper

influence or malicious retribution.

-  Protecting groups that are recognized legally, from hostile actions by those

who desire to inflict harm upon the members, without just cause.

-  Punishment administered to any individual, Either by Government, Social Organization, or Employer must be justified through defined procedures that allow the individual an opportunity to provide a proper defense to any and all charges. Further, that judgment will be based on facts and evidence that were gathered in a prescribed manner.  Of course, the degree to which these are implemented differs from the Public to the Private sector.

When speaking of Rights that are found in the Private Sector, we usually find them to be creations of contractual agreements between Employer and Employee, or in By-Laws that are part of a fraternal organizations code of conduct for members. By their very nature, these Rights affect a very select group.

This is not true in the Public Sector.

End of PT 1.  

Call for Nominations: 2018 Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching.

Dear DAVID, We are pleased to open the call for nominations for the 2018 Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching. This annual prize recognizes a philosophy teacher who has had a profound impact on the student learning of philosophy in undergraduate and/or pre-college settings. The winner will be awarded $1,000 and a plaque. Eligibility is open to any APA member. The prize is sponsored by the American Philosophical Association (APA), the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT), and the Teaching Philosophy Association (TPA). Nomination letters should be no more than 2,000 words and should address the selection criteria detailed below. Only APA members may submit nominations; self-nominations are welcome. Criteria to Include in the Nomination Letter Excellence in undergraduate and/or pre-college philosophy teaching, established, in part, by the nominee’s attention to student learning Creative and effective use of high-quality pedagogies Broader impact on the quality of philosophy education through service and/or research The nomination deadline is August 1, 2018. To submit a nomination, fill out the nomination form. After reviewing the nomination letters, the APA committee on the teaching of philosophy will invite selected finalists to submit detailed information. We look forward to receiving your nominations for the 2018 Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching. Sincerely, Alexandra Bradner Chair, APA Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy David Concepcion Associate Chair, APA Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy.